High Spirits Co-Writer Timothy Gray Dies at 79

According to the Herald-Tribune, Tony Award-nominee Timothy Gray, who co-wrote the 1964 Broadway musical hit High Spirits with Hugh Martin, has died at the age of 79.  He passed away in Sarasota, FL on March 17th.

Born in Chicago on September 5th, 1927, Gray made his Broadway debut with High Spirits, a musical co-written with Hugh Martin that was based on Noel Coward's ghostly drawing room comedy Blithe Spirit.  He received three Tony nominations for the show - for Best Author (Musical), Best Composer and Lyricist and for Best Musical.  He also provided voice coaching, and vocal direction and arrangements for the show.

High Spirits, which opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 7th, 1964, ran for 375 performances on Broadway.  It starred Tammy Grimes, Beatrice Lillie, Louise Troy and Edward Woodward, among others.  A London production of the show featured Cicely Courtneidge, Dennis Quilley and Marti Stevens.

Gray also produced a 1971 revival of the Kurt Weill musical Johnny Johnson and provided musical supervision and vocal arrangements for the 1974 revival of Good News, starring Alice Faye and Gene Nelson.  Other credits include the musical Make a Wish and the musical revue Welcome Darlings, starring Tallulah Bankhead.

"You were the best writing partner I ever had, and working with you was emotional and visceral - a truly synergistic phenomenon. Looking back at the finished product, it is difficult at times to distinguish between your work and mine. The name Timothy Gray is not a household word. But in my personal Pantheon, it is a name that lights up the sky with laughter, lyricism and love," Martin wrote of Gray.

Gray is survived by Carlo Thomas, his life partner of 36 years, as well as by his sister Violet Gray Fabbri and nieces Terri Chonez, Bonnie Fabbri of Minden, NE, Sandra Gray Seems and Lani Seems of Genoa City, WI.